The 319 Gallery and Bistro is the result of a dream three friends had more than five years ago. They wanted to offer space for local artists to display their works, with an eye for art that might be excluded from other local galleries, giving more local artists the opportunity to show off their work to more than just their friends and family.

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Art is displayed in one of the many rooms of the 319 Gallery and Bistro.(Photo: Laura Schulte/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

The gallery opened in December 2013, in a room rented from the building owned by St. Paul's United Church of Christ. After a few months, an idea sprouted to incorporate a coffee shop, which then turned into an idea for a bistro, which opened in August 2014.

Since then, June Zentner, Deanna Reitz and Shirley Van Slate have been working to keep the business afloat and keep the space open to central Wisconsin artists.

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Three friends are at the helm of running the 319 Bistro and Gallery; June Zenter (center), Deanna Reitz (back right) and Shirley Van Slate(Photo: Laura Schulte/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

"We love interacting with customers and artists," said Van Slate.

She also appreciates the opportunity to share artists' stories with visitors from the community.

"Every artist has a story, and if you can tell it to the customer, it brings the art to life," she said.

Since opening in 2013, the gallery has expanded to three rooms in the small building at 319 Fourth St., plus the small bistro which seats up to 22 people. The bistro offers appetizers, soups, sandwiches and homemade ice cream for between $5 and $8. All the food is homemade as well, by Van Slate's son, John Van Slate.

But the 319 does face a significant challenge: There isn't much traffic in the area of downtown that the gallery is in.

"People don't just venture in off the street," said Zentner.

The gallery makes a small profit from the artists who pay to exhibit their work and from the cafe, but the budget is still tight for the little business. The trio can't afford internet in the building, and some months they struggle to pay their phone bill.

But the business survives, because Zentner, Reitz and Van Slate believe in having a space for artists to show off their work. And for the three, who never got the chance to attend school for art, but still enjoy creating and selling their wares, it's finally their opportunity.

"It's a pastime, a place to come and talk art," Reitz said.

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A necklace on display at the 319 Gallery and Bistro. Almost all the art on display in the building is for sale.(Photo: Laura Schulte/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

"We're eternal optimists," Van Slate said.

As the number of artists grows in Wausau, the trio said that they hope more people realize all that the 319 has to offer, from jewelry to paintings to photography and beyond, and that more will stop in, say hi and look around.